Shaped wire rolling



April 20, 1965 H. L, MCCLELLAN SHAPED WIRE ROLLING 4 Sheets-SheetI 1 Filed March 15, 1961 April 20, 1965 H. l.. MGCLELLAN SHAPED WIRE ROLLING 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 15 1961 INVENTOR.

meager /v/fczzbwv BY April 20, 1965 H, MGCLELLAN SHAPED WIRE ROLLING 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March l5. 1961 xllllll April 20, 1965 H. L.. MccLl-:LLAN v'3,178,924

SHAPED WIRE ROLLING v Filed March 15. 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent O 3,178,924 SHAPED WIRE ROLLING Herbert L. McClellan, Tiffin, Ohio, assigner to The National Machinery Company, Titin, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Mar. 15, 1961, Ser. No. 95,908 4 Claims. (Cl. 72-235) This invention relates to metal working apparatus for use in the formation of articles which are wholly or partly polygonal in outline, such as nut-s and bolts.

It has been customary heretofore to use round crosssection metal wire or rod stock to feed into heading and upsetting machines in which blanks are sheared from the stock and shaped by upsetting into the desired articles. This has been true even in the production of nuts and the like which are wholly polygonal in cross-section and bolts, capscrews, and the like which are partially polygonal in cross-section. In the manufacture of bolts with polygonal heads it has been customary to upset the round cross-section stock into an enlarged head of round crosssection and then trim the upset head by a shearing operation to the desired polygonal form. In the manufacture of nuts by cold forging it has been found possible to upset and pierce blanks sheared from round cross-section stock to produce hexagonal nut blanks by a plurality of operations including bending the blanks first in one direction and then in the other to fill out the corners of the heXagon by forces produced by a toggle action.

In these heading and upsetting operations round crosssection stock has been used because it can be coiled for handling and shipping and drawn from the coils by the feeding mechanism of a header without substantial distortion of the cross-section. Polygonal cross-section stock, on the other hand, becomes distorted if coiled. Also, the round cross-section stock is cheaper than polygonal.

The present invention is directed to a novel metal working apparatus in which a polygonal configuration is imparted to originally round cross-section metal stock before blanks are sheared off from the stock and subsequently formed in a cold header. The stock is passed between a plurality of pairs of rollers which are arranged angularly about the stock and which together dene between them a polygonal space for the passage of the stock. Each roller has a peripheral edge face which has rolling pressure engagement substantially radially against i the stock to form a single flat thereon. Preferably, the

rollers are staggered lengthwise of the stock so as to produce slightly concave faces on the stock which make it easier for the blank to ll out the corners of the die p. l

or dies in the cold header.

The principal object of this invention is to convert round metal stock to a substantially polygonal outline by a rolling operation as the stock is being fed intermittently into a header or similar machine.

Other objects are to cold roll metallic stock of roundcross-section into a hexagonal cross-section, to reduce the number of operations required in the upsetting of metal articles having a polygonal cross-section while permitting p the use of relatively low cost stock of round cross-section FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section taken along the line 2 2 in FIG. 1 and showing a portion of the apparatus for feeding the stock into the cold header and for cold rolling the stock to polygonal cross-section;

FIG. 3 is a similar view taken along the line 3 3 in FIG. l and showing the stock gripper near the stock exit end of the apparatus;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the stock forming rollers and the carriage therefor, taken from the line 4-4 in FIG. l at the stock inlet side of the rollers;

FIG. 5 is atop plan view of a portion of the stock feeding and forming apparatus, taken from the line 5--5 in FIG. 1, with certain parts broken away'for clarity;

FIG. 6 is a similar view taken from the line 6-6 in FIG. 1 and showing the stock gripper near the stock exit end of the machine;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-section of the stock at its engagement by the first pair .of forming rollers in this apparatus, with the original round outline of the stock shown in dotted lines;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-section of the stock at its engagement by the second pair of forming rollers in the apparatus; v L,

FIG. 9 is a similar view of the stock at its engagement by the final pair of forming rollers; and

FIG. 10 is an enlarged schematic plan view of the shear in the cold header for shearing individual blanks from the stock.

Referring to FIG. 1, in broad outline the apparatus comprises, beginning at its stock inlet end, a manually operated rnechainism 10 for use when the leading end of the wire stock is being advanced through the apparatus, a stock inching mechanism 11 for advancing the leading end of the stock through the apparatus, an assembly 12 of rollers for cold rolling the initially round cross-section stock into polygonal shape, a stock gripper 13 near the exit end of the apparatus, and feed rollers 14 for pulling the stock through the apparatus and for passing it to the cold heading machine 15.

The cold heading machine is illustrated only schematically in FIG. l and is designated in its entirety by the reference numeral 15. It includes the usual guide 16 for guiding the stock against a stock gauge 17. The cold header 15 has the usual tool-carrying header slide (not shown) which is reciprocated intermittently toward and away from a lixedly positioned die breast. As illustrative examples, the header may be a double-blow header of the type shown in U.S. Patent No. 2,599,053 to John H. Friedman, or it may be a progressive header of the type shown in U.S. Patent No. 2,542,864 to John H. Friedman. The header is provided with a suitable shear which operates in synchronism with the header slide to shear Voff a predetermined length of the polygonal metal stock at -the stock gauge 17 and then to advance the sheared-oif blank to a die in a die breast, after which the tools carried by the header slide cold work the blank to the desired shape in successive reciprocations of the header slide.

The feed rollers 14 in the present apparatus are arranged to be operated intermittently in synchronism with the header slide and the other moving parts of the heading machine. To this end, these feed rollers may be coupled to the crankshaft of the machine 15 through a mechanism similar in principle to that shown in the aforesaid Patent No. 2,599,053. With such an arrangement the stock will be fed forward intermittently against the stock gauge 17 in the proper timed relationship to the opera- `tions of the header slide, the shear 90 and the other moving parts of the cold header 15.

With this general mode of operation having been outlined, attention is now directed to the novel arrangement in the present invention for cold rolling the originally round cross-section stock into the desired polygonal form D before it passes to the feed rollers 14 and thence into the cold header 15.

As shown in FIG. 1, this apparatus comprises a massive stationary base 18 which supports a pair of fixed, parallel, horizontal guide bars 19 and 20. The carriage 21 which supports the stock-forming rollers 12 is a block which is slidably mounted on these bars for reciprocation back and forth. In the particular embodiment shown in the drawings there are six identical stock-forming rollers 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, and 27 carried by this carriage. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, these rollers are arranged at sixty degree intervals angula'rly about the axis of movement L of the stock.

FIG. 2 shows the .upper and lower rollers 22 and 25 mounted for rotation about horizontal axes 28 and 29V, respectively, which extend perpendicular to the axis of movement L of the stock and are spaced equidistant from it. The upper roller 22 is supported rotatably by a bifurcated holder 31 (FIG. 4). This holder is mounted on the carriage 21 by means of a bolt 32 which is received in a counterbored bushing 33 carried by the holder. A radially disposed set screw 34 on the carriage bears against the radially outward end of the roller holder 31. The lower roller 25 is supported in the same fashion by its bifurcated holder 35. The oppositely Idisposed rollers 22 and 25 have their respective rotational axis 28 and 29 aligned vertically so that they lie in a vertical plane P-1 (FIG. i

The oppositely disposed pair of rollers 23 and 26 and the oppositely disposed pair of rollers 24 and 27 are mounted in the same manner.

The respective rotational axes of rollers 23 and 26 both extend perpendicular to the axis of movement L of the stock and they both lie in a plane P-Z (FIG. 5) which is spaced slightly behind the plane P-1 of the axis of rollers 22 and 25. y

Similarly, the rotational axes of the remaining rollers 24 and 27 both extend perpendicular to the axis of movement of the stock and they lie in a plane P-3 which is spaced slightly in front of the plane P-l of the axes of rollers 22 and 25. With this arrangement the pairs of rollers are staggered or olfset lengthwise of the stock, so that rollers 24 and 27 engage the stock rst, followed by rollers 22 and 25, and finally rollers 23 and 26.

Each roller has a cylindrical peripheral edge face 22a, 23a, etc., with a substantial width, slightly greater than that of the flat which it is to form on the stock. As best seen in FIG. 4, each roller is beveled at the opposite axial ends of its cylindrical peripheral edge face. These beveled edges on each roller are spaced slightly away from rolling engagement with the adjacent beveled edges of the rollers on either side of it because of the staggered positions of the pairs of rollers. At their radially inwardly disposed confronting extremities the six rollers together define a hexagonal space 36 for the passage of the stock. This hexagonal space has a cross-sectional area slightly less than the initial round cross-sectional area of the stock before it passes between the rollers. For example, in one practical embodiment the round cross-section stock has a diameter of 0.525 inch and after being cold rolled into hexagonal shape it has an across-theats diameter of 0.4375 inch.

With this arrangement, the rollers are positioned to have rolling pressure engagement of each substantially radially against the round stock so that, upon relative movement between the roller carriage and the stock, the rollers cold roll the round stock into a hexagon substantially of the size of the hexagonal space 36 between the rollers. i

FIGS. 7, 8, and 9 show the cross-section of the stock as it passes between successive pairs of the forming rollers.

The original circular cross-section of the stock is shown in dotted lines at 100 in FIG. 7. The stock is first'engaged by the rollers 24 and 27, which compress the stock and form arst pair of opposite ats 24b and 27h thereon. Between the adjacent ends of these flats the stock bulges outwardly at 101 and 102 slightly beyond the initial outline of the round stock.

After passing through the narrowest space between the first rollers 24 and 27, the stock then passes between the rollers 22 and 25. These compress the stock between them and form opposite flats 22h and 25b. This causes the stock to bulge outwardly to provide the curved surfaces 101 and 102. Also, the stock at the ats 24b and 2711 tends to extrude slightly around the beveled edges of the corresponding rollers 24 and 27, so that these flats become slightly concave surfaces 24b and 27b having exaggerated or pronounced corners at the ends.

Finally, the stock passes between the third pair of rollers 23 and 26, which form flats 23b and 26b. At the previously formed flats 22b and 25b the stock now has slightly concave surfaces 221; and 25b with exaggerated corners at the ends.

The formation of these pronounced or exaggerated corners on the stock makes it easier for the blank to completely fill out the die or dies in the cold header during the heading blows on the blank.

The staggering or offsetting of the rollers enables wider rollers to be used, along with correspondingly larger bearings for the rollers.

Preferably, the stock is compressed between the rollers to the extent that its cross-sectional area after being cold rolled is less than the cross-sectional area of the original round stock.

For effecting the desired relative movement between the roller carriage 21 and the stock there is provided a pivoted actuating lever 37 (FIG. 2) at the front of the roller carriage 21. This lever is operated from the crankshaft of the metal working machine 15 so that it pushes the roller carriage 21 rearwardly away from the machine 15 (to the right in FIGS. l' and 2) while the stock is stationary, i.e., during the interval between successive intermittent advances of the stock by the feed rolls 14. Such operation of lever 37 is essentially similar in principle to the operation which takes place in conventional wire drawing machines, as exemplified by U.S. Patent No. 2,018,211 to H. J. Hogue, where the drawing die is moved back along the stock by a similar lever during the interval between successive advances of the stock. The stroke of lever 37 is such that the roller carriage 21 is moved back along the stock a distance suiicient to produce a length of hex on the stock equal to the distance which the stock is advanced during the next operation of feed rolls 14, i.e., a distance equal to the axial length of the blank to be sheared from the stock.

As shown in FIG. 2, the lever 37 is bifurcated at its upper end to straddle the stock just beyond the roller carriage. A guide sleeve 38 for the stock is mounted on the front of the roller carriage to guide the stock as it passes from between the rollers. i

As shown in FIG. l, exible bellows 39 and 40 surround the guide bars 19 and 20 forward of the roller carriage 21 so as to shield these bars against foreign matter, such as dirt, where the roller carriage slides on them.

The stock gripper mechanism 13 at the front end of the apparatus functions to hold the stock stationary while the roller carriage 21 is being retracted by the actuating lever 37 to form a length of hex on the stock. This gripper mechanism operates upon the same basic principles as the arrangement shown in the aforementioned U.S. Patent No. 2,018,211.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 3, this gripper mechanism comprises a pair of wedge-shaped jaws 41V and 42 disposed on opposite sides of the stock. Sets of vertically disposed rollers 43 and 44 are disposed between the outer sides of these jaws and fixedly positioned, wedge-shaped backing members 45 and 46. As shown in FIG. 6, when the jaws 41 and 42 move toward the exit end of the machine` (to the left in FIG. v6) they move apart and release the stock. Conversely, when these jaws move` in the opposite direction (to the right in FIG. 6) they are wedged toward each other to grip the stock tightly.

Referring to FIG. 3, the jaws are biased rearwardly by a bell crank lever 47, which is biased clockwise in FIG. 3 by a coil spring 48. Normally, therefore, the jaws 41 and 42 are positioned for gripping engagement with the stock. Any rearward pull on the stock, such as would occur when the rollers 22-27 are carried rearward along the stock, tends to pull the jaws rearward into tighter gripping engagement with the stock.

However, when the stock is pulled forward by the feed rolls 14 it tends to pull the jaws 41 and 42 forward enough to relax their grip on the stock.

The gripper mechanism is provided with a manuallyoperated release. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 3, a horizontal cross shaft 49 is formed with a cutaway portion 50 (FIG. 3) adjacent the upwardly extending leg of the bell crank lever 47. When the handle 51 for this shaft is turned from the FIG. 3 position, the cutaway shaft portion 50 functions as a cam to move the jaw-engaging, bifnrcated upper end of lever 47 away from the jaws, so that the jaws 41 and 42 are no longer spring-biased into engagement with the stock. Normally, however, the parts are in the positions shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, so that the jaws are effective to functions as described.

lust behind the gripper mechanism 13 a guide member 152 (FIG. 3) is provided for guiding the stock into the space between the gripper jaws 41 and 42.

A guide passage 52 for the stock is located just beyond these jaws and ahead of the feed rolls 14.

Adjacent the stock gauge 17 in the cold header there is provided a shear 96, which is shown schematically in FIG. 10. This shear comprises a block 91 having a threesided recess 92 at one side which is shaped to receive the leading end of the stock as the latter emerges from the guide 16 just ahead of the stock gauge. A pair of springpressed pivoted fingers 93 and 94 are mounted on the shear block to engage two of the remaining faces of the stock. The shear block 91 is mounted on an arm 95 pivoted at 96. A cross arm 97 attached to arm 95 carries a roller 98 which is engaged by a cam 99.

After the hexagonal stock has been received in the shear block recess 92 the shear is actuated clockwise in FIG. 10 (counter-clockwise in FIG. 1). The shear cuts off a blank from the leading end of the stock and advances it to a die D in the cold header, where at least the rst heading blow is applied to the blank.

At the stock inlet end of the apparatus there is provided a manually operated mechanism 10 for use when the leading end of the stock is being advanced to the feed rolls 14.

Referring to FIG. 5, this mechanism comprises a pair of circumferentially grooved cams 60 and 61 mounted for rotation about vertical axes on opposite sides of the line of movement L of the stock. Meshing gears 62 and 63 are attached to the bottoms of these cams. The shaft 64 of cam 61 is adapted to be turned manually by a handle 65. Each cam has its greatest radius at a point midway along the circumferential length of its curved peripheral surface. On other side of this high point the radius of the cam decreases progressively. The respective high points of the cams are arranged to be directly opposite one another when they engage the stock. Accordingly, when the handle 65 is turned the cams 60 and '61 rotate oppositely (one clockwise and the other counter-clockwise) and thus they engage the stock tightly on opposite sides.

The stock inching mechanism 11 (FIGS. 5 and 2) is for advancing the stock before the leading end of the stock is engaged by the feed rolls 14.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 2, this gripper mechanism comprises a pair of wedge-shaped gripping jaws 70 and 71, sets of rollers 72 and 73, and wedge-shaped backing members 74 and 75, all arranged the same as in the gripper mechanism 13 already described in detail.

This mechanism is mounted on a carriage C which is slidable along the bars 18 and 19. This carriage is arranged to be advanced intermittently by an electric motor, which is adapted to advance the carriage an inch or so each time.

The arrangement of these jaws is such that when carriage C is moved forward (to the left in FIGS. l, 2 and 5) they grip the stock tightly, so that the stock advances in unison with the carriage. After each advance, the carriage C is retracted and the jaws 70 and 71 release the stock, so that the stock remains stationary while the carriage C is being retracted.

A pivoted bell crank lever 76 (FIG. 2) is provided for disabling this inching mechanism manually. This lever is pivoted on a horizontal pin 77 disposed above the back ends of the gripper jaws. It has a depending leg 78 which is bifurcated at its lower end to straddle the stock behind the jaws 70 and 71.

A rotatable horizontal cross shaft 79 is formed with a pair of laterally spaced ats 80 which are positioned to be engaged by spaced, parallel fingers 81 (FIG. 1) on lever 76 at the opposite side of the levers pivot 77. A handle 82 is attached to the cross shaft 79.

When the handle 82 is positioned as shown in FIG. 2 the depending leg 78 of lever 76 is positioned a sufhcient distance behind the narrow ends of jaws 70 and 71 that the jaws will be free to grip the stock when the carriage C is moved forward. However, when the handle 82 is turned counter-clockwise from the FIG. 2 position it moves the lever 76 clockwise, so that the leg 78 on the lever moves forward and pushes the jaws 70, 71 forward to a position where they are ineffective to grip the stock.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the apparatus includes a stock guide 83 located just behind the gripping jaws 70, 71 and another stock guide 84 just ahead of them.

In the use of this apparatus, the round cross-section wire stock is unwound from a reel and is passed between opposed straightening rollers 85 (FIG. 5) in the usual manner. The leading end of the stock is passed between the cams 60 and 61 into engagement by the gripping jaws 70, 71 in the inching mechanism 11.

The motor for the inching mechanism is started, causing the carriage C of the inching mechanism to be advanced and retracted intermittently, so that the leading end of the stock is advanced intermittently in short strokes to the forming rollers 2227. With the roller carriage 21 stationary during inching of the stock, the forming rollers engage the stock and form a length of hex on the leading end portion of the stock.

The gripping jaws 41, 42 are disabled (by operating the handle 51) until the leading end of the stock has passed between the feed rollers 14. At this time, the handle 51 is turned to the position where it permits the gripping jaws 41, 42 to hold the stock against rearward movement. Also, at this time the inching mechanism 11 and the gripping cams 6G, 61 are disabled.

The cold header 15 is started and as its crankshaft turns it actuates lever 37 intermittently to move the roller carriage 21 rearward along the stock. Also, this crankshaft actuates the feed rolls 14 intermittently to pull'the stock intermittently forward. During the intervals between successive advances of the stock by the feed rolls 14, the lever 37 is actuated to move the roller carriage 21 rearward along the stock to cold roll the stock into hexagonal cross-section as described. The gripping jaws 41, 42 automatically hold the stock against being displaced rearwardly during these intervals. Each time the stock is pulled forward by the feed rolls 14 the roller carriage 21 is pulled forward with it the same distance.

After the leading end of the stock reaches the stock gauge 17 in the metal working machine 15, the shear 90 in the machine operates to shear olf from the stock the first hexagonal blank of the desired length.

In subsequent revolutions of the crankshaft in the header, the header slide is moved forward to perform the desired operations on the blank. Also, successive blank lengths of the stock are cold rolled into hexagonal shape and the leading end of the stock is advanced against theV stock gauge, and the next blank is sheared olf, all in timed relation with the operation of the header slide.

A particular advantage of the present invention is that by cold rolling the stock to hexagonal shape there is a minimum of work hardening of the stock, particularly at the center. This is most important where the cold header is arranged to form the blanks into nuts, because by minimizing work hardening at the center of the stock a substantially longer piercer life in the cold header is made possible.

Also, by virtue of the cold rolling operation the stock is formed to an accurate polygonal shape, with no flashing or other undesired irregularities at the edges.

While a specific, presently-preferred embodiment of this invention has been described in detail and illustrated herein, it is to be understood that various modications, omissions and refinements which depart from the disclosed embodiment may be adopted without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. For example, the stock forming apparatus may have rollers arranged to cold roll the stock to polygonal forms other than hexagonal.

What is claimed is:

l. An apparatus for cold forming polygonal .stock from cylindrical stock comprising a roller carrier, a plurality of pairs of opposed rollers with each roller mounted on said carrier for rotation about an axis, said rollers defining between them a polygonal space for the passage of stock, the rollers of each pair being diametrically opposite each other and being positioned for rolling pressure engagement of each against diametrically opposite portions of the circumference of the stock, the respective pairs of rollers being offset from each other lengthwise of the stock with the offset between adjacent pairs of rollers being suiciently small so that a plane containing both axes of a pair of rollers intersectsthe peripheral surface ot' both rollers of the subsequent pair of rollers with the lateral spacing of the adjacent of such intersections being less than the diameter of the stock whereby the subsequent pair of rollers engages a given cross-section of stock and initiates reduction of the lateral width thereof before the reduction of lateral width produced by the preceding pair of rollers iscompleted, each of said rollers having a peripheral edge having a lateral width greater than the lateral width of the side of the polygonal space, said rollers being spaced from each other, and means for affecting relative movement between said roller carrier and the stock in a direction lengthwise of the stock.

2. An apparatus for cold rolling elongated round crosssection metal stock into polygonal cross-sections comprising a roller carrier, a plurality of pairs of opposed rollers rotatably mounted on said carrier and defining between them a polygonal space for the passage of stock, the rollers of each pair being diametrically opposite each other and being positioned for rolling pressure engagement of each against diametrically opposite portions of the circumference of the stock, the respective pairs of rollers being slightly offset from each other lengthwise of the stock whereby the metal in a given cross-sectional plane of stock is sequentially engaged by each pair of rollers, the ollset between adjacent pairs of rollers length- Wise of the stock being sufliciently short so that the metal in a given lateral plane of stock is simultaneously worked by adjacent pairs of rollers, each of said rollers having a peripheral edge having a lateral width greater than the lateral width of the side of the polygonal space, said rollers all being spaced from each other, and means for affecting relative movement 'between the roller carrier and the stock in the direction lengthwise of the stock.

3. An `apparatus for cold rolling elongated round crosssection metal stock into polygonal cross-sections having six sides comprising a roller carrier, three pairs of opposed rollers rotatably mounted on said carrier and dening between them a polygonal space having six sides for the passage of stock, the rollers of each pair being diametrically opposite each other and,l being positioned for rolling pressure engagement of each against diametrically opposite portions of the circumference of the stock, the respective pairs of` rollers being slightly oilset from each other lengthwise of the stock whereby the metal in a given cross-sectional plane of stock is sequentially engaged by each pair of rollers, the offset between adjacent pairs of rollers lengthwise o f the stock being sufiiciently short so that the metall in a given lateral plane of stock is simultaneously worked by adjacent pairs of rollers, each of said rollers having a peripheral edge having a lateral width greater than the lateral width of the side of the polygonal space, said rollers all being spaced from each other, and means for affecting relative movement between the roller carrier and the stock in the direction lengthwise of the stock, the lateral .spacing between the rollers of each pair of rollers being proportioned with respect to the original diameter of the metal stock to produce at least some faces on the rolled stock which are concave in form.

4. An apparatus for cold rolling elongated round crosssection metal stock into polygonal cross-section stock 'having six sides comprising a roller carrier, three pairs of opposed rollers rotatably mounted on said carrier and defining between them a polygonal space having six sides for the passage of stock, the rollers of each pair being .diametrically opposite each other and being positioned for rolling pressure engagement of each against diametrically opposite portions of the circumference of the stock, the respective pairs of rollers being slightly offset from each other lengthwise of the stock whereby the metal in a given cross-sectional plane of stock is sequentially engaged by each pair of rollers, the olset between adjacent pairs of rollers lengthwise of the stock being sufciently short so that the metal in a given lateral plane of stock is simultaneously worked by adjacent pairs of rollers, each of said rollers having a peripheral edge having a lateral width greater than the lateral width of the side of the polygonal space, said rollers all being spaced from each other, means for affecting relative movement between the roller carrier and the stock in the direction lengthwise of the stock.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 190,195 5/77 Cameron 80-40 564,302 7/ 69 Brightman 80-40 1,697,739 l/29 Sussman 80-34 1,934,466 11/33 Hogue 29-33.51 2,018,211 10/35 Hogue 29-33.5l 2,101,959 12/37 Schutz 80-40 2,213,336 9/40 Clouse 29-34.4 2,228,746 1/ 41 Berkebil 29-34.4 2,337,881 12/43 Gaines 29-34.4 2,359,453 10/44, Waldron 29-33.3 2,393,702 1/46 Naegeli 29-34.4 3,017,016 l/62 Ehlert 29-34.4

RICHARD H. EANES, Primary Examiner.

WHITMORE A. WLTZ, Examiner.- 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR COLD FORMING POLYGONAL STOCK FROM CYLINDRICAL STOCK COMPRISING A ROLLER CARRIER, A PLURALITY OF PAIRS OF OPPOSED ROLLERS WITH EACH ROLLER MOUNTED ON SAID CARRIER FOR ROTATION ABOUT AN AXIS, SAID ROLLERS DEFINING BETWEEN THEM A POLYGONAL SPACE FOR THE PASSAGE OF STOCK THE ROLLERS OF EACH PAIR BEING DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE EACH OTHER AND BEING POSITIONED FOR ROLLING PRESSURE ENGAGEMENT OF EACH AGAINST DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE PORTIONS OF THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE STOCK, THE RESPECTIVE PAIRS OF ROLLERS BEING OFFSET FROM EACH OTHER LENGTHWISE OF THE STOCK WITH THE OFFSET BETWEEN ADJACENT PAIRS OF ROLLERS BEING SUFFICIENTLY SMALL SO THAT A PLANE CONTAINING BOTH AXES OF A PAIR OF ROLLERS INTERSECTS THE PERIPHERAL SURFACE OF BOTH ROLLERS OF THE SUBSEQUENT PAIR OF ROLLERS WITH THE LATERAL SPACING OF THE ADJACENT OF SUCH INTERSECTIONS BEINT LESS THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE STOCK WHEREBY THE SUBSEQUENT PAIR OF ROLLERS ENGAGES A GIVEN CROSS-SECTION OF STOCK AND INITIATES REDUCTION OF THE LATERAL WIDTH THEREOF BEFORE THE REDUCTION OF LATERAL WIDTH PRODUCED BY THE PRECEDING PAIR OF ROLLERS IS COMPLETED, EACH OF SAID ROLLERS HAVING A PERIPHERAL EDGE HAVING A LATERAL WIDTH GREATER THEN THE LATERAL WIDTH OF THE SIDE OF THE POLYGONAL SPACE, SAID ROLLERS BEING SPACED FROM EACH OTHER, AND MEANS FOR EFFECTING RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID ROLLER CARRIER AND THE STOCK IN A DIRECTION LENGTHWISE OF THE STOCK. 